Month: November 2015

WHO: Teachers looking for a way to engage students in learning how to write code.

HOW: Students can sign up and start playing on their own, or a teacher can set up a class with student accounts and track progress. Code Combat teaches students to actually type code, the next step after the drag-and-drop blocks you see on most websites to teach code. Code Combat teaches students can choose from the following languages:

WHEN: This is a great activity to kick off the Hour of Code December 7-13, an enrichment course, or a full computer science course.

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HOW: Without creating an account, a user could select a game, standard, or skill, and start playing within seconds. Accounts allow students, parents, and teachers to track progression of skill mastery. Games and skills are Common Core aligned.

WHEN:Math Games would work well in a station setting, enrichment activity, test prep, and more!

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WHO: Teachers looking to help ease students who suffer from test anxiety.

HOW: Teachers create an account, create a class, and have students sign up via class code. Teachers then assign challenges to their classes. Students take these challenges and compete against each other. Questions are put into a game, correct answers give students a boost.

WHEN: This is a great tool for test prep, extended lessons, and extra practice.

Some students need a game based environment in order to be engaged in the content. Class Compete also captures students attention by allowing them to customize their characters.

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WHO: Teachers looking to show live animals they never thought would be possible to show in class.

HOW: Visit explore.org and take a look at the wide variety of live webcams they have to offer. Each one also contains an “info box”, giving the viewer the best times to view as well as some basic information about the wild life and area the camera is located. There is also a button in the corner to take a picture of the view. These pictures can be shared via social media, or downloaded to your device.

WHEN: This would be great to have off to the side during a biology class, or as a writing prompt for students. Have the pupils choose/view a webcam at home and write about what they were able to see.

It is hard to describe an EdCamp to someone who has not participated in one. I highly suggest checking one out, there is nothing really to lose. EdCamps are always free, each one takes a life of it’s own, and many times there are some sweet door prizes to win! The general layout of the day goes something like:

Registration – Many EdCamps do pre-registration to speed this up in the morning.

Introductions – Hosts are introduced, give a layout of the building, and discuss the itinerary.

Presentation Board – This is the time where the audience mingles and discusses what they would like to learn more about and what they are willing to present on.

Breakout Sessions – Some EdCamps do a couple long sessions, others will do (3-4) sixty minute sessions.

I am currently working with a couple other educators to host EdCamp Ohio on April 23, 2016 in Tiffin, OH. This will be the third EdCamp I have hosted, and each one has been great! If you will be in the area, please consider participating. More information on EdCamp Ohio at: www.edcampohio.org

WHEN: This is a great opportunity to demonstrate the hardships Americans went through during the Great Depression. These could be used for lectures, writing prompts for students, and much more!

This project is being put together by Yale. Viewers can display images based on the county of origin, sort by a specific theme, or show where each picture was taken, including who the photographer was. This is an ongoing project with more options to come as well.